Kindred Spirits
At my first Al‑Anon meeting, there were 20 women and no men, which confirmed to me that I was probably married to the only female alcoholic in the world. Yes—I was that angry, lonely, and tired. I thought,
Exactly What I Needed
When I reached the end of my rope with my alcoholic/addict son, I decided to go to an Al‑Anon meeting. That first Al‑Anon meeting was on a dark, cold, rainy night, which was how I felt at the
Finding My Way in Al-Anon
Over the course of a few years, my family’s life seemed to spiral out of control. Solutions I thought should work didn’t. I was worn out, and I was out of ideas. I finally took a friend’s advice
Keeping Calm with the “Conflict Resolution Kit”
I once thought of Al-Anon as a perfect, safe, and happy place—one big happy family. I naively believed that our admission of powerlessness in Step One meant that we relinquished control or domination over others. It shocked me
A Spark for Service
Before starting out in Al-Anon as a volunteer in service, I occasionally would hear terms that were unfamiliar to me, such as District, Area, or Area World Service Committee (AWSC). I was told that these meetings were part
Al-Anon Changed My Life
After 9/11, my partner’s drinking increased so much that I decided to go online to find out about staging an intervention. On the A.A. website, there was a questionnaire about a loved one’s drinking. After I scored my
I Was Finally Able to Choose
When I walked into my first Al-Anon meeting, I was convinced that I had no choices about anything. I was convinced I was destined to be stuck taking care of everyone else and that love meant putting everyone
Because I Kept Coming Back
Before Al-Anon, I was not a happy camper. I was judgmental with everyone in my household. My husband had a problem with alcohol, but I didn’t know then that it is a disease. My dad died from alcoholism
Who Is Responsible for Alateen Safety?
Early on in my personal recovery, I thought that our young boys would not need to go to Alateen meetings because they would reap the benefits of the Twelve Steps by osmosis through us—and of course that would be
Al-Anon’s 60th World Service Conference Is Right Around the Corner!
While this will be the 14th year that I will have the pleasure to attend the World Service Conference (WSC) as Associate Director—Conference, it will be Al-Anon Family Groups’ 60th World Service Conference! That’s right—Conference members will be
Calm Where There Had Only Been Anxiety
I came into Al-Anon shortly after my husband and I had been married for ten years. I had tried everything to get him to stop drinking. He didn’t, and he died of liver failure at age 45. I
Even If the Alcoholic Doesn’t Choose Recovery
My husband didn’t drink when we married, but somehow that all changed. I knew nothing about alcoholism, so I was in denial for many years. Beer led to wine, wine was accompanied by vodka, and then scotch was